“It’s very festive,” he said. “We have beautiful artwork. It’s an opportunity for men and women to dress up. It’s not as wild as a carnival atmosphere, but it’s very festive.”

The event, in its fourth year, is a masked art show on Sunday, Feb. 10 featuring romantic-themed work from local and international artists. The show is from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Wine Loft in Downtown Birmingham.

Attendees are asked to give a $10 donation. Students are asked to give $5. Ultra Hip Revue belly dancers as well as Lonnie Parsons will be on hand to entertain the crowd along with fortune tellers and caricature artist Christopher Garrison. Levy’s Fine Jewelry, iiis, Charm and What’s on Second will sell items such vintage Valentine’s cards and jewelry.

Featured artist Carolyn Weltman will be displaying her paintings at this year’s show. Her work has been featured since the show’s first year.

“Every year I get to meet all of my friends in Birmingham,” she said about the event. “I’ve now made a whole slew of friends down there. It’s just become a tradition. It’s always very exciting for me.”

While Arts De Valentine may celebrate revelry, the cause it benefits couldn’t be more serious. All proceeds from admission and portion of the artists’ profits benefits Rape Response programs at Birmingham’s Crisis Center. The Wine Loft also gives a portion of their profits as well.

(courtesy of Leo Ticheli)

Ticheli says it’s a worthy cause that he decided to support exclusively through the event three years ago.

“They do such good work,” he said. “They’re poorly funded, really. Women who have been raped are not properly taken care of in our systems. “

Over the years, the event has raised between $4,000 and $5,000 for the center.

The money is used to provide clothing and other supplies for rape survivors, according to Meg McGlamery, Crisis Center Assistant Director and director of Rape Response.

She says the funds are critical to the program.

“We are the little engine that could is what I say about our program,” she said. “I’m the only full-time staff member for Crisis Center and we rely on volunteers and part-time people to really serve our survivors appropriately. To have that financial piece, it directly impacts survivors.”

For her part, Weltman is happy she can use her art to support.

“It fills my heart with joy to know that we are helping this organization,” she said of the Crisis Center.

In turn, the center provides volunteers for Arts de Valentine and survivors often attend.

“A lot of survivors want to come and have a night out and not have to feel like they have to feel ashamed of who they are,” McGlamery said.

The event is about more than raising money, according McGlamery. The community support is just as important.

“It’s very moving because survivors are often blamed,” she said. “They were the ones who were supposed to prevent this from happening. Instead, we should be looking at the perpetrators…To have this group come together and say ‘No, we want to support survivors’ it blows me away.”